The family, friends, and well-wishers of Geoffrey Kazinda, the jailed former principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), have petitioned Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo over a five-year delay in delivering a Supreme Court ruling related to his continued incarceration at Luzira Prison.
In a letter dated September 29, and received by the Chief Justice’s office the same day, the family expressed frustration that no judgment has been issued in Kazinda’s Supreme Court appeal, which was lodged by the Attorney General in 2020.
‘As his community of support, we speak on his behalf before you as the head of the panel that heard the appeal. We respectfully plead that you engage the other justices to conclude the matter so it is not left in endless pendency,’ the letter reads in part.
The family said their petition is not intended to influence the outcome but to request a decision, any decision, so they may pursue further legal avenues to secure Kazinda’s release. The case stems from an August 7, 2020, ruling by the Constitutional Court, which halted further criminal proceedings against Kazinda that were based on the same or similar facts related to his role in the OPM.
The court held that continued prosecution amounted to double jeopardy, violating Article 28(9) of the Constitution, and ordered his immediate release from Luzira Prison, where he has been detained for over a decade.
However, dissatisfied with the ruling, the Attorney General appealed to the Supreme Court and sought a stay of the Constitutional Court’s orders, including the release directive.
Kazinda had been convicted of several offences, including abuse of office, forgery, embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and causing financial loss. In their petition, the family described the personal toll of the prolonged detention, particularly on Kazinda’s 81-year-old mother, Teopista Nanfuka, who is no longer able to physically visit him at Luzira Prison.
They also spoke of the emotional impact on Kazinda’s children, a son who was two years old when Kazinda was jailed and is now 15, and a daughter who was 18 at the time and is now 31.
With Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo set to retire on January 18, 2026, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70, the family has urged the court to deliver its decision before his departure, since he chaired the panel that heard the appeal.
Represented by lawyer Richard Omongole, the family accused the State of using the legal system to frustrate justice and insisted that the Supreme Court has a duty to end this prolonged legal limbo.
Attempts to reach the Judiciary spokesperson, Mr James Ereemye Mawanda, for comment on the delay were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls by press time.